SparkCognition Research Fellow and Advisor Bob Metcalfe, Co-Inventor of Ethernet Technology, Wins Turing Award

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Mar 23, 2023, 10:10 ET

AUSTIN, Texas, March 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SparkCognition, a global leader in artificial intelligence (AI) software solutions perfected for business, is proud to announce that Bob Metcalfe has been named this year's Turing Award Winner for his contribution to the invention, standardization, and commercialization of Ethernet.

The $1M Turing Award, presented by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), is recognized as the highest distinction in computer science. Often referred to as the "Nobel Prize of Computing," the award is named for Alan M. Turing, the British mathematician and computer scientist who invented the core concepts of theoretical computer science.

Metcalfe attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University, where he studied mathematics and computer science before joining Xerox's Palo Alto Research center. He was inspired to invent the Ethernet in 1973, a system for connecting computer systems to form a local area network, with protocols to control the passing of information. He then went on to found the multi-billion-dollar company 3Com.

Metcalfe is a current Emeritus Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at The University of Texas at Austin and a Research Affiliate in Computational Engineering at the MIT Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL). He joined SparkCognition as a Research Fellow and Advisor in 2019.

"Professor Metcalfe's contribution to the development of Ethernet, one of the most profound inventions in the technology world, paved the way for the innumerable applications integral to our daily lives—including artificial intelligence," said Bruce Porter, Chief Science Officer at SparkCognition, and former two-time chair of The University of Texas at Austin's Department of Computer Science. "We are humbled and proud by our association with him and look forward to his continued inspiration and mentorship at SparkCognition."

Metcalfe has received numerous awards, including the IEEE Medal of Honor and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation for his participation in developing Ethernet technology. The Turing Award has only been presented 54 times since 1966 to individuals whose work has outstanding significance for computer science.

About Robert Metcalfe

Bob Metcalfe was an Internet pioneer beginning in 1970 at MIT, Harvard, Xerox Parc, Stanford, and 3Com. In 1973 he invented Ethernet at Xerox Parc. In 1979 he founded 3Com Corporation, the multi-billion-dollar Silicon Valley networking startup that went public in 1984 and merged into HP in 2010. During the 1990s, Professor Metcalfe was publisher-pundit at IDG/InfoWorld. During the 2000s, he was a general partner of Polaris Venture Partners. Since 2011, Metcalfe has been a Professor of Innovation at the Cockrell School of Engineering and Professor of Entrepreneurship at the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin. Metcalfe is a member of the National Academy of Engineering. He received the National Medal of Technology for leadership in Ethernet's invention, standardization, and commercialization.

About SparkCognition

SparkCognition's award-winning AI solutions allow organizations to predict future outcomes, prescribe next best actions, and help ensure worker safety. We partner with the world's industry leaders to analyze, optimize, and learn from all types of data, augment human intelligence, drive profitable growth, and achieve operational excellence. Our patented AI technologies, including machine learning, deep neural networks, natural language processing, and computer vision, lead the industry in innovation and accelerate digital transformation. Our solutions allow organizations to solve critical problems—prevent unexpected downtime, maximize asset performance, deliver net-zero initiatives, and eliminate accidents, all while avoiding zero-day cyberattacks. To learn more about how SparkCognition's AI solutions can unlock the power in your data, visit www.sparkcognition.com.

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